Science and Technology Words from the Ancient Past to the Present, Part 1

(terms appearing in some "scientific" areas from about 2000 B.C. to 1799 A.D.)

bestiary
An ancient or medieval catalog, or catalogue, of animal life.

Bestiaries were highly unscientific and typically included numerous fictional creatures; such as, the unicorn.

biology
The scientific study of living organisms.

Actually, it was a collection of disciplines that included botany and zoology, biology was (along with medicine) one of the two principal areas of studies in the life sciences.

block printing
A process whereby a printer carved out the material to be printed on a piece of wood, then he inked the wood block and pressed it onto paper to create a printed image.
botany
A branch of biology concerned with plant life.
caduceus
Aesculapias staff representing a symbol for the medical profession. In classical mythology, a winged staff entwined with two serpents, the symbol of Hermes or Mercury which is mistakenly used by some to be associated with the Greek god of healing, Asclepius or Aesculapias.

The staff of Aesculapius, consisting of a staff with a single snake entwined around it, is said to be the correct symbol for the medical profession.

For more detailed information, see Aesculapias; and then use your "return" button or arrow on your computer monitor to return to this page.

calculus
The branch of mathematics that deals with rates of change and motion.
case history
A record of a particular patient's illness and treatment, often used in medical texts for the purpose of teaching or illustrating a medical concept.
celestial
A reference to the skies or heavens.
Cesarean section
A medical procedure in which a baby is surgically removed from its mother's uterus.
chemistry
An area of the physical sciences concerned with the composition, structure, properties, and changes of substances, including elements, compounds, and mixtures.
circulatory system
The heart, the blood, and the blood vessels.
circumference
The distance around a circle
civil engineering
An area of engineering concerned with the design and building of large public works projects; such as, roads and bridges.
civilization
A term referring to a society that has all or most of the following:
  1. A settled way of life.
  2. Agriculture.
  3. Cities.
  4. An organized political system.
  5. Polished tools.
  6. Writing.
combinatorics
The study of combining objects by various rules to create new arrangements of objects.

Index of additional Scientific and Technological Topics.